1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compact electronic apparatus such as a book-type personal computer or word processor, and, more particularly, to a structure which allows electronic components, cables, and circuit boards to be fitted into a base unit of a compact electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable compact electronic apparatuses such as laptop or book-type personal computers are very popular today because they are easy to carry around and can be used in places where no commercially-available power is available.
This type of compact electronic apparatus is equipped with a battery pack which serves as a driving power supply. The battery pack is a unit of a single module, and is fitted into the base unit which supports a keyboard and a display unit. As the battery pack needs to be detached from the base unit to be recharged or to be replaced with a new one, a conventional known compact electronic apparatus has an attachment recess provided on the bottom of the base unit to thereby allow the battery pack to be detachably fitted into this attachment recess.
This battery pack is so designed that when fitted in the attachment recess, its one surface becomes flush with the bottom of the base unit or this battery pack itself constitutes a part of the bottom of the base unit. Properly fitting this battery pack in the attachment recess will make mechanical and electrical couplings to the base unit simultaneously.
According to the conventional compact electronic apparatus, the battery pack is mechanically held in the attachment recess only by its engagement with a detach-preventing projection, which is provided at one end portion of the attachment recess to engage with the battery pack.
The battery pack constitutes a part of the bottom of the base unit as mentioned above and is supported on the top of a desk or the like in the normal usage. Even if the portion of the engagement between that projection and the battery pack is located closer to one end of the battery pack, therefore, no destructive force would be normally applied to this engaging portion.
When this electronic apparatus is lifted to be carried around or for some other reasons, most of the weight of the battery pack will concentrate on the engaging portion. Particularly, as the battery pack is heavy for its size, the load applied to the engaging portion is increased accordingly. The engaging portion may therefore be deformed, thus making the installed state of the battery pack unstable.
To prevent the deformation of the engaging portion, the aforementioned projection should be enlarged to fully withstand the weight of the battery pack, thus ensuring firmer coupling to the battery pack. This solution however results in inevitable enlargement of the engaging portion including the projection, thus restricting the reduction of the size of the base unit.